thing to come after.--And Jim was asking me, in a
disappointed tone, what the matter was, and if I did not feel
interested.

"Yes," I said, "Mr. Johnson--"

"Mr. Johnson!" interrupted he, "How cold! I thought it would be _Jim_ at
least, to-day, if you can't say _dear_ Jim."

"Yes, 'dear Jim,'" I repeated; and my voice sounded so strangely quiet
in my own ears, that I did not wonder that he called me cold. "Indeed, I
am interested. I don't know when I have heard anything that has
interested me so much. I pray God to bless you and Emma. But the reason
I came from school so early to-day was, that I had a headache; and now I
think perhaps the sun is not good for it, and I had better go in."

I stood up; but I suspect I must have had something like a sunstroke,
sitting there in the meadow so long with no shade, in the full blaze of
June. I was almost too dizzy to stand, and could hardly have reached the
house, if I had not accepted Jim's arm. He offered, in the joy of his
heart, to change head-dresses with me,--which luckily made me
laugh,--declaring that mine must be a perfect portable stove for the
brains. Thus we reached the door cheerfully, and there shook hands
cordially; while I bade him take my kindest love and congratulations to
Emma,--to whom he was going on a three days' visit, as fast as the cars
could carry him,--and charged him to tell her I should write as soon as
I recovered the use of my head.

He looked concerned on being reminded of it, and shouted for Mrs.
Johnson to bring me some lavender-water to bathe it with. I had told
him, on a former occasion, that the smell of lavender always made it
worse; but it was natural that, when he was so happy, he should forget.
Whistling louder than the orioles, whose songs rang wildly through and
through my brain, he hastened down the road, and was gone.

CHAPTER II.

Jim was gone; but I was left. I could have spared him better if I could
only have got rid of myself.

However, for that afternoon the blessed pain took such good care of me
that I lay upon my bed still and stunned, and could only somewhat dimly
perceive, not how unhappy I was, but how unhappy I was going to be. It
quieted Mrs. Johnson, too. She had seen me suffering from headache
before, and knew that I could never talk much while it lasted. Her
curiosity was at once satisfied and gratified by hearing what Jim had
left me at liberty to tell her,--the news of his partnership in the
firm. The enga